Kraken
by BlackRose108
Summary: Post-Goliath. In London, Deryn, Alek, and Dr. Barlow prove the Zoological Society's latest project fatal when the plans fall to the Germans. Can the monstrous "Kraken" finally end the war, and will Deryn and Alek rejoin the fight? ON HIATUS.
1. One Roof

**I just finished reading **_**Goliath**_** and I must say it's a barking brilliant book, I'm almost nervous to even write for it. But the ending was so openly inviting, I couldn't resist. **

**Obviously if you haven't read the full series, this isn't the story for you because it's filled with all kinds of lovely spoilers for the ending and so on. **

**If you have read the book, you know very well that it's a very open ending for our young heroes, going to work for Dr. Barlow with a whole new world to uncover.**

**This is simply a small portion of what could be going on for our lovely couple….**

Kraken—One Roof

The room was barking tiny.

Only a single bed stuffed in the left corner, a dusty window flooding the room with a bumming grey light of the dull afternoon sun, hidden by the old buildings of London. The kitchen was simply a box dug into the wall with the bare essentials, and a single washroom adjusted to its left. The interior made the room it's only savior, given how it was indeed, very fresh.

Either way, though, it all seemed wedged and messed in Deryn's opinion, but it would be the place that she and Alek would be spending together for the next two months.

It only took the _Leviathan _a few days to reach the London ports from New York, and although Deryn certainly sniffed back a few of those unsoldierly tears she was hardly going to let leaving her home behind phase her work.

She still was a decorated soldier after all, and a barking good one at that.

"Tiny," Bovril repeated as Deryn shoved herself inside, spotting every wrong thing with every corner of every wall in the room, Alek trailing behind her with their bags—a surprisingly low number to his fortune—that she had carelessly left in the doorway during her rant of the bum-rags who had placed her in there.

Of course, though, it was the lady boffin who had decided that Alek and Deryn stay on site in London with her for the two months she needed to stay in her native stomping grounds.

Being aboard the Leviathan had proved strenuous on her societal duties, and although the London Zoo and her exemplary society had managed just swimmingly without her direct orders, they took little time jarring unfinished business, duties, and decisions to be tended to. Enough to take up two months of onsite work, it seemed. And that mess could only mean one thing.

It would be two months before both Deryn and Alek could fly again.

The tiny excuse for a living arrangement was directed from Dr. Barlow who had no problem explaining to her people that her two new assistants would be staying in her complex in the spare room on the fifth and top floor. Two floors above the third floor, which the lad boffin had all to herself. She had described them both as boys, of course, and with only one vacant room left in the place, her and Alek would have to do more than play house to pull off keeping the fact that Deryn Sharp was indeed a decorated officer worthy of being onsite with the granddaughter of Darwin. And not some daft girl sleeping in the same room with her just-barely man of the hour.

"It's not as bad as you're making it Dylan," Alek said, using her male name in the fear that any of the wandering men in the halls would hear them. She was certainly kicking up quite a scene, mocking every inch of her new home.

"Barking tiny," Bovril chuckled on Alek's shoulder before jumping down into the bags, finding a new comfort in the soft fabrics of Alek's silk jacket, humming content whistles it had picked up from Alek's whistles to get the worms glowing aboard the _Leviathan_. The sound alone was enough to make Deryn stop her blathering for a moment, looking over at the beastie lounging in Alek's jacket, whistling a song that could only fill her memory.

Memories of the _Leviathan_.

Alek seemed to realize this, and shut the door behind him, walking over to the girl to offer her a heavy hand on her shoulder, turning her to an angled look at him.

"I miss it too," Alek admitted softly, his words barely above a whisper over the beastie's whistles. "But this is our home now."

"Aye, it's just so…_different_."

"Aye, indeed." Alek agreed, copying her lilt in a humorous approach to the situation. "But, at least we're together. _Leviathan _or not."

She could only offer him a smile. His green eyes shining in the way they always had been ever since they kissed atop the _Leviathan's_ topside. Up to that point, Deryn had only thought of what it would be like to have no secrets between them. For him to know that she was a girl, for her to kiss him in confession…and for him to kiss her back with those same words perched on his lips.

But the real thing was so much more real than she had anticipated, even though the mere words of the thoughts in her head sounded just as daft as the look in Alek's eyes.

Deryn hadn't anticipated what her last ride on the Leviathan would be like, but she hardly expected being able to call her and Alek an item when it happened.

The climb off the ratlines back to the party was definitely tricky, for climbing down proved harder than shifting her weight upwards in determination, simply going down meant being naturally pushed down by gravity, and getting smacked in the face by the cross breeze blowing over the ship, only serving amusement for the madness within her that brought her and Alek up the ratlines in the first place.

And of course, her weak knees from a good half hour of topside kissing didn't help either.

But, all the while, being on no-secrets terms with Alek meant that they knew how they felt about each other. That they had feelings for each other, and that Alek's dafty move of throwing the pope's letter over the side of the ship meant that finally—without a doubt—they could be together.

If only she wasn't still know to everyone but a handful of people as Dylan Sharp.

Their being an item was a definite secret, though between the two of them, it did prove to be—as Alek had said—a bit tricky. It was all so new and fragile, the glances across the corridors, the urge to always take his hand in hers, and of course, the urge to kiss the barking daylights out of him.

But, they had managed quite well for an ex-prince and a common girl dressed as boy, sneaking about to the dark corners of the halls, climbing the ratlines for privacy when the middy's where only a few in numbers aboard the topside, and their most valuable means of privacy…at night when Deryn turned into her cabin early to rest her leg.

Nevertheless, snapping herself back the present, sneaking about in dark corners, and cabins for nightly visits was in so many ways different from actually living under the same roof. And by the looks of the tiny sleeping arrangements, sharing the same bed.

Her cheeks heated at the thought.

Alek could almost count himself smug when a long pause flooded between Deryn's smile at his kind words and her deep blush running up her cheeks and ears. He slid the hand that was on her shoulder down her arm to grasp her hand, entangling her rough fingers with his and stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.

"I do believe you're blushing, Mr. Sharp." Alek teased.

"_Mr_. Deryn Sharp." Bovril interrupted its whistles to add, with a cackle, of course.

And even though Deryn was, at that moment, concocting a million different witty snips to say to him and his arrogant dafty self, she only squeezed his hand before going over the Bovril and the bags, grabbing them and moving them over near the window just to do something other than get lost in his eyes.

"You know dead well what you do to me, your princeliness." She said softly, low enough so she hoped Alek hadn't heard her. "Just promise me you'll use your forces for good."

He didn't answer, though. And in a fraction of a second, she felt his smile against the back of her neck, his arms wrapping around her slowly and loosely enough to show that he was still a novice at anything romantic.

"I'd prefer the reddening, Deryn." He whispered to her, making no slow movements to turn her head about, placing a steady hand under her chin, and kissing her just as soundly as always.

"I do believe you're blushing," Bovril said.

It was barking insanity, what he did to her, Deryn thought. But as long as she wasn't as mad as that boffin Tesla had been, she supposed getting a little lost in Alek's dafty ways wouldn't kill her.

He was one hell of a kisser after all.

0o0

"How are my assistants holding up?" Dr. Barlow barged in their room with Tazza and her own loris in tow. The noon sun soon turned into a shining light being swallowed by the blues of the London evening.

Both Deryn and Alek's heads snapped up from their recreations and Tazza made it's way over to Deryn, the girl scratching it's ear. Alek was unpacking his clothes into the closet, Deryn's already having been stuffed inside, and Deryn lay on the bed, Bovril mounted happily atop her stomach, and humming all kind of content at the girl stroking his fur, but feeling a little left out now that she was showing that affection to Tazza. She simply stared up at the ceiling through her motions, counting all the spade looking figures she saw on the wallpapered top.

"I thought you weren't going to flaunt the 'assistant' term ma'am." Deryn spat, not bother to prop herself up. She was all too comfortable.

"Well, you did take the job, Mr. Sharp; you might as well live up to the appreciated title I give you." The lady boffin countered, looking over at Alek who made no other indication he could even hear the bickering ladies other than the small smile tugging at his lips.

"Is there more to this visit other than cheery banter?" Deryn asked instead of making a remark towards her titles. The lady boffin would be quite a handful to get used to, with her saying one thing and calling another.

"The dining hall is open for dinner if you two want the complex's food, but of course you have your own kitchen for personal meals." Dr. Barlow explained.

"How's the service?" Alek asked.

"Same as the officer's mess on the _Leviathan_, though the food is more delectable"

"And where will you be dining Dr. Barlow?" Alek asked.

The lady boffin regarded him with a mischievous smile. "I believe your wildcount will be escorting me to dinner on the town."

"Quiet suited to each other." Bovril said, repeating Klopp's words at the party.

"You and that bum-rag?" Deryn snorted. "Good luck not putting your fork in your throat halfway through the meal."

Alek only smiled, he wasn't surprised that Volger had decided to accompany them to London, but the nature of his whereabouts were still so mysterious. He had told him he was there to help Alek's elevation towards the throne, he didn't make it clear that he would be in his company. The wildcount made his living arrangements elsewhere, probably keeping close enough to Alek so he knew what he was doing, but that Alek didn't know anything about the wildcount.

But apparently he still had time to escort lady boffins to dinner.

As for Alek, he just wanted a simple meal, having had enough of the grand dining he had done with Tesla. So he'd let Dr. Barlow and Volger have their outing, he'd stay happily tucked away with Deryn.

"Then I suppose it wouldn't hurt to go check out this place's dining." Alek said with one last clip of his last jacket being hung. He pulled the straps of his suspenders back up over his shoulders and looked over at Deryn, still comfortably lying on the bed with the Dr. Busk's fabricated compression still on her knee. "I'll bring you back something, Deryn." He told her, walking over and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Any requests?"

"I'm not crippled you daft prince," Deryn told him, sitting up gingerly even as she spoke and shooing Tazza away. Alek knew she had been on her feet that whole day, saying goodbye to the _Leviathan _and the crew and running errands with him and the lady boffin before they made it to the complex. Either way, she wasn't going to let herself become confined to a room again, and Alek knew that all too well.

He released her shoulder as she slide from the bed, Bovril making a comfortable and proud travel position on her shoulder. She gave Alek a firm look, telling him, for sure, that she wasn't going to let her leg stop her from anything, even something as simple as getting dinner from the complex's mess.

"Alright," Alek said softly, an even softer smile on her lips soon making him mirror her movements.

"Barking destiny," Bovril said thoughtfully, and Dr. Barlow quickly cleared her throat.

"I just hope you two remember that you are my young and _gentlemanly_ assistants," the lady boffin offered before walking towards the door. "The dining area closes at ten." She told them before closing the door behind her.

"_Mr_. Sharp." Bovril added.

0o0

In ways he could only pin on Deryn's odd habit of momentarily dropping an argument when she was met with food for the fact that Alek convinced her to take their dinner of freshly roasted chicken and stirred vegetables back up to their room.

"There's not even a _barking table_ in this place!" Deryn exclaimed, arms waving up high.

"Madness," Bovril said as well, throwing his tiny arms up in the air just as Deryn had.

Alek didn't even answer, going into the side closet near the kitchen and pulling out a small folding table. The legs sprung out wider when he turned it upwards, and Deryn swallowed at the food plate in her lap, sitting on the bed and placing the food on the table the second Alek brought it over. He sat beside her, though the table wasn't big, it could hold two plates and cups if they were all placed in the right section of the table. And Bovril didn't find snacking on his plate of fresh fish on the floor near the window.

"See, still not that bad." Alek told her, a sigh of content falling from his breath between chews, and Deryn thought it was a quiet enough time between then to lean her shoulder ever so closely against his. It wasn't anything to reddened by, by the pair still blushed at their touching shoulders.

He had finally figured out that Deryn didn't hate the room just because it was small, but because she thought she'd be trapped inside. But he wouldn't let her mold in a room, for two months. Boffin assistants or not, they were going to see the grounds of London for all it had to offer, until they could fly again.

The thought of flying brought the next words Alek spoke to the forefront."So where do you figure the _Leviathan_ is headed now?" He felt it right to ask, taking a forkful of veggies into his mouth.

"It's hard to say," Deryn noted. "Their destination to London is supposed to be a repair stop, but that'll only take two, three days tops." She sat her fork down and looked out the open window, the cold chill winding over Bovril's fur, but the beastie looked at peace, eating its fish and whatnot. "And of course you were supposed to be thrown in the brig, me too if that bum-rag Malone had released my story." As if the mere mention of that incident made Alek realize how much he was really willing to do for the girl beside him. He lined their whole arms side by side, and laced his fingers over hers, and placing his fork down as well, giving her his full attention.

"It's just hard to say," she repeated to him simply, even though Alek was expecting her to know all about the _Leviathan's_ whereabouts, he forgot how quickly information to her had been severed when Dr. Barlow reported to the captain that she would be taking midshipman Sharp and former Prince Alek for her own assistants in London.

And just like that their decorated service to the mighty airbeast was nothing more than a story for the papers, and fond chapter in the captain's log book. The bravery of the small, 15-year-old middy and the dashing prince in distress turned hero.

Her gaze dropped almost instantly, and he could see her eyes becoming more and more far away. They were probably flooding with images…memories of her time served of the brilliant ship, and the only thing she had left of it was a knee injury, her middy uniform, a fabricated loris…and of course, her dashing prince.

Alek did something daring, leaning towards her and kissing her cheek, a sweet and gentle gesture that was in great contrast to how whenever they did kiss, it seemed like they were starving for each other's breathes. Wanting to stay joined at the lips for as long as they could by breathing heavily through their noses. Alek smiled at the thought against her skin, it was partially his fault that they kissed so hungrily. If he hadn't been so daft in learning her secret, there might not have been so much emotional build up between them. But then, if she would've have just told him, as well, the problem could've been fixed all the same.

Deryn's cheeks heated up again.

"Reddening," Bovril whispered quietly, its eye shining over at the two in a happiness that neither of them expected. Did the beastie really understand the bond between them? Their friendship, their romance? It was quite perspicacious, after all.

Alek recognized the next look in Deryn's eyes. They were softened, curious, and just a tad bit daring. She wanted to kiss him, and surely wasted no time claiming his lips.

Their picked over plates and placed down forks were easily forgotten as they encircled their arms around each other. He held her against him tightly, finding an odd urge inside him to finally feel all of her, and not just the warmth of her body through her middy's uniform.

She only wore a tailored buttoned and collared shirt, white and cleanly pressed for her steps off the _Leviathan_ with Dr. Barlow and Alek, cameras flashing and reporters scribbling of how a simple middy aboard the airship had become such tight allies with the lady boffin and the former Austrian prince. Nonetheless, though, Alek could still feel the binding Deryn had on, pressing her chest back just as tightly as he held her against him, his lips skating softly over hers.

It was a slow kiss, none of that sloppy business. And Alek could feel Deryn leaning into him, placing all of her weight into his arms. She was releasing all of her tension into him, and he could feel it coming off of her in waves. Her sadness over taking her last steps off the _Leviathan_, her fear of being in the lady boffin's world of small, stately rooms, being called an assistant, and the desperation to fly even though she knew it would be two months before her feet would leave the ground again.

But still, there was a certain vigor about her kiss. She was relieved in certain ways, and Alek was sure she was sharing the same relief he was. That even though they had lost so much, thrones, midshipman duties, and a home thousands of feet in the air, they seemed to have gained so much.

"_You'll still need…something more."_

He smiled into her lips at what Deryn had told him when she was confined to her cabin after she'd injured her knee, and instantly remembering the words he told Malone during his last interview with him.

"_Let others wage war, you, lucky Austria, shall marry."_

And pulling away from Deryn, breath thin, a permanent smile on her lips and shining in her eyes, he knew he'd made the right choice.

He was among his ally, his best friend, his lover. The only thing that kept him going when the war he was certain was his destiny to end not even a week ago still raged on.

"Barking spiders, Alek," Deryn breathlessly noted, her smile still not fading.

"Forces for good," Bovril added.

"We should be retiring for the night, don't you think?" Alek mentioned, looking out the window to the darkness of the city below them, the street lights giving everything a golden midnight hue.

"Aye, it's been quite a day." She moved quickly to reach over to take her and Alek's plates to the kitchen counter, not bothering to rake them or even bring them back to complex's mess. They'd do that in the morning, Alek supposed.

It was when that thought left him and he looked over at the bed he was sitting on that Alek realized that there was really only one bed. He felt daft for skipping that fact so easily, and he figured Deryn had already narrowed down those facts, but was just too embarrassed to bring it up.

But it was night time and they were tired, so there was no more avoiding it.

Before he could get a word out, though, Deryn had already made her way into the closet, grabbed his night shirt and made her way into the washroom to splash some water on her face and change for sleep. He took that momentary privacy to change while she wasn't in the room, practically ripping his clothes off and throwing them in a pile near Bovril—and in some cases, _on_ Bovril—and slipped on his long, stripped sleeping shirt.

Slower than Alek had anticipated, the door to the washroom clicked and Deryn emerged, a bundle of her white collared shirt and trousers in her hand, and a washed out red sleeping shirt replacing her daywear. Alek suspected her slow time changing was still due to her knee, but she would hardly ask him for help undressing, even though he'd gladly close his eyes and do whatever he could to assist her.

The medical beastie on her knee was perfectly visible in her night shirt, and Alek blushed at the daring nature of her garment. The fabric stop right above her knee, leaving her legs perfectly bare to him, and although when midshipman Dylan Sharp removed his calf high boots and socks from his flight suit, Alek thought nothing of it, there was something alluring about Deryn Sharp wearing a knee length sleeping shirt.

It was also, the first time he'd even seen her in anything but day wear or her middy uniform. He swallowed hard.

"A bit tricky," Bovril chuckled, while Alek's mouth ran dry as Deryn strode across the room, placing her pile of clothes in Alek's pile hear the window, leaning down to stroke Bovril's fur.

"Goodnight beastie." She told the loris softly, and then stood to lock eyes with Alek.

"Don't you look cozy in your night wear, your princeliness." She teased him, walking over to the bed and climbing in, gingerly as ever in mind of her knee beastie. Alek watched her, mesmerized by her every move at the moment and he swallowed hard, only to find that there was no moisture in his mouth. "And looking quite daft as well." She added, being egged on by Bovril's chuckles.

"S-sorry," Alek shook his head, but still stood frozen in the middle of the room. Deryn was laying simply on the bed, her arms raised behind her head as she regained her position staring at the ceiling designs, but with her arms raised, it raised her night shirt as well, and a little more of her legs showed….

"Barking spiders," Bovril whispered.

"I was just wondering how I was going to do this." Alek finally found it possible to form sentences, drumming his fingers at his sides.

"Do what?" Deryn asked, either acting oblivious or finally being the daft one for a change.

"This sleeping arrangement." Alek finally said in one, strained breath, his cheeks coloring quickly, as did hers. Their gazes didn't meet.

"Aye, it is a bit of a trick isn't it?" She said, looking down at the bed. It wasn't a huge bed, but it wasn't tiny either, Alek followed her gaze, thinking the same thing she was. They could possibly share it, but that was insanity.

"I guess I'll sleep on the floor," Alek offered, looking over at Deryn's leg and feeling it only proper that he let her have to bed. He wouldn't let his injured lady sleep on the ground, even though she'd take up the offer without a second thought, claiming that if she could climb ratlines she could stand sleeping on a barking floor.

"Or you could stop being a dafty and get in here."

"You daft prince," Bovril cackled.

"I'm not sure that's….proper."

"What's propriety between us, Alek?" Deryn almost laughed. "We're an ex-royal and a girl dressed as a boy sharing a barking room!"

"I suppose so," he said softly, his blush still coloring his face and his gaze falling down to his bare feet on the wooden floor. It was hard and cold beneath him, and all he wanted was her warmth.

And he got it, when she got from the bed and walked over to him, folding him into her arms slowly enough that he just melted right into her. She was inviting but when he placed his hands on her sides, as he always did, and leaned into her he immediately snapped back, putting at least two feet between them.

"What's wrong now, you daft prince?" Deryn groaned. "You sure make such a fuss, don't you?"

Alek regulated his breathing before trying to answer, but soon figured that there was no proper way to tell her that with her night shirt on and being out of her daywear he felt her skin beneath the fabric, her bare legs against his, and he felt that she had taken off her chest bindings.

Deryn seemed to follow his gaze down to her chest area, and immediately lifted her arms to cross over her chest, turning so her back faced him.

"Oh," She let out softly.

"I'm sorry," Alek sighed. "I'll take the floor now."

"No, you won't." Deryn closed her eyes and said, in a swift move that Alek didn't even see coming, she grabbed his hand and lead him over to the bed, practically spilling him on it and then climbed in behind him.

Alek's eyes were wide when he finally registered what she had done, and his blush only grew redder.

"Now get some rest you dafty." She told him, turning over and clicking the light off, filling the room with only the outside streetlight's midnight gold.

Alek finally relaxed from his stiffened shock and pulled the covers over him, turning over so his back was facing Deryn's and vice versa. Their backs touched lightly, and a tug at Alek's heart continued to throb even after he fell asleep.

Even after all he has lost, given up, and changed about his life. He was glad that he somehow found himself there in the small complex room in London. Sleeping with his back against Deryn Sharp's, her foot nudging his a little too often for him to call it sleep kicking, and the raspy whispers of the giggling loris soon taking a spot between the two.

"We save each other," the beastie whispered. "That's how it works."

**Okay, so what do you guys think? This could be a oneshot, but if you guys like it, I have a few more things I can do with it to add a few more chapters. **

**Besides, who wouldn't want to know how Deryn and Alek survive living together?**

**Reviews are always welcomed. **


	2. Subject of Interest

**Well, due to **_**all the positive reviews**_** I got for chapter one, here's chapter two. **

**Seriously, you guys flatter me, so of course I had to continue it! I wish Scott Westerfeld would be so easily swayed to continuing the series with just kind words. **

**So, obviously you can see that changes have been made, the summary is different, and so is the name. I've decided to make this story full on continuation. Yay? So, that is why it took me a little bit longer to update this chapter, since this is a story loosely based off WWI, I obviously had to do some research so it doesn't sound like a pile of made up rubbish. But, never fear, the concept I had for this story is still standing, I've just expanded it in a way I think you guys will like.**

**Plus, there's always that lovely Deryn/Alek aspect, which I like to consider fluff that actually doesn't make you gag, because Deryn and Alek will never be the "I wuv you too honey bee" kind of couple. **

**But, if you need me I'll be reading the last five pages of Goliath over and over…you all know what I'm talking about. **

**Enjoy!**

Kraken—Subject of Interest

There was a fuzzy heat tickling Alek's nose that he was sure was Bovril. Though his eyes hadn't opened yet, Alek found the mental willpower to lift his arm, pushing the fuzz away from him before he sneezed. But, the second he gave it a third little push, he was meant with a hard smack on his cheek.

_That _opened his eyes.

And he quickly discovered that it was the hair of Deryn Sharp that was the fuzzy culprit of his morning awakening.

He wanted to jump back, but the weight of his restlessness made his body lazy, heavy as a bag of sand, and rendered any quick movements his brain wanted to do useless. Deryn—on the other hand—didn't seem to budge from all the commotion, but Alek didn't find it odd that she had completely smacked him in her sleep, and a barking _hard_ slap at that. He smiled to himself in an odd fondness, wondering if all of her abuses where as hard as her punches.

He still didn't move, though, and the more he relaxed back into his normal sleeping position the more he decided he didn't exactly mind the situation. It was certainly odd, though, waking up with his arms wrapped around her. He'd obviously turned over in his sleep, and her body was a shelter of warmth in the fidget London winter air, most likely due to the window they had left open. Alek knew he probably should've gotten up and closed the window, as well as taken the plates Deryn left on the kitchen counter back to the mess, but his body only seemed to register staying against Deryn's back, and going back to that fuzzy awakening that seemed less annoying at the moment.

"Either get up or go back to sleep," Deryn mumbled into the pillow a moment later, proving Alek's thought that she was still asleep a foolish assumption. Deryn was a middy, which meant she had to be ready to jump up at any given moment. And middies couldn't be heavy sleepers, whether they were on the _Leviathan_ or not.

"Sorry," Alek replied in a groggy voice, the later part of the words being skipped with a morning hiccup he emitted. Deryn let out an exasperated sigh and kicked the covers off her with her good leg, sitting up and turning to face him.

"If you're going to be like this I'm going to kick you on the floor." She told him, but her threat was slightly dampened by her bed messed hair and ruffled shirt. Alek blinked, trying not to think too much that her night shirt hung over her shoulder a tad more, and looked over the cold wooden floor he had offered to sleep on the previous night. He shivered at the thought.

"I just hiccupped, Deryn." Alek rolled his eyes instead of trying to make peace, and turning over. She clearly wasn't one of those people with a cheery outlook on mornings, but then, he didn't know why he expected her to be.

Deryn didn't respond, she simply slipped out of bed and walked over to the window. Looking out she saw the London daytime. It was so different than the side of London her and Jaspert had stayed in when she was studying for her airman admissions test. She'd certainly seen enough of _this_ side of London the previous day, though. It was pure dead high class boffin lands if she'd ever saw one. Nothing but fancy shops and even fancier people, all stuffed and tucked in their rich clothes. Even the beasties walking about were towing carriages behind them and others tall enough to have the carriages on their backs, tourists and fancy-boots occupying every one of them.

But there was something good in the air about being back in a Darwinist town, and Deryn smiled at the smell of the wind. There were no Clanker contraptions for miles. No engine grease and no loud rumbling to stir the bees in her knee. And oddly enough it was the thought of that that made her feel out of place somehow.

She looked back at Alek, who was trying to go back to sleep and enjoying the few days that Dr. Barlow gave them to sleep in before they started their duties with her each morning, a quick smile on her face. She knew Alek would feel out of place living in a beastie atmosphere, but he had been so in love with the _Leviathan_. Deryn unconsciously considered Alek to be half-Darwinist at heart, as she supposed being around him and his engines made her a little half Clanker as well.

She closed the window, taking one last inhale of air before climbing back into bed, nudging Alek over a bit so she could have more room, and adjusting her feet so she didn't kick Bovril, who had moved from its position between them at night to all the way near the footboard.

"Now who's moving too much?" Alek countered, and Deryn didn't need to see his face to know he had that daft smirk on his face.

"Get stuffed," Deryn kicked his leg and when he yelped she smiled. "That's what you get, you dafty." She told him when he sat up, glowering at her.

"The floor's starting to look pretty good right now." Alek muttered, only to be met with another kick.

But, instead of starting a kicking war between them, and probably waking up half their floor with all the thuds, he flopped back down, turning to his left and encircling his arms around her, feeling satisfied when she sucked in a deep breath of shock.

"What do you want to do for breakfast?" He whispered to her, almost trying to tease her. Deryn curled, almost shrinking against him and she lifted her hands to cover his.

"Well, eating food would be nice." She told him sarcastically, but her voice was small.

"Be serious," he laughed against her, and Deryn curled more, staying silent. "We could go out to breakfast, I'm sure London has some fine places to catch a morning meal."

"Don't be a _Dummkopf_, you know we're both penniless."

"Ah, yes," Alek sighed, relaxing his hold on her a bit. It was at times like these where he just felt so incredibly and daftly spoiled. In ways, he still wasn't used to knowing he didn't have any gold left to his name, and yet he was so quick to give away his last spec of gold to Dr. Azuela for his silence of Deryn's secret back in Mexico. "Then, the complex's dining it is."

"Aye, they do make good chicken."

A few moments of silence floating between them, with only Bovril's light snores filling their air. Alek held Deryn closer for a moment before turning her slowly so she was against the pillows, he lay on his side next to her, and odd longing in his eyes.

And then he leaned over and kissed her softly.

His hands were heavy on her shoulders while he steadied himself in the new position he was in, kissing her carefully and slowly while trying not to offend her—she still was wearing that barking night shirt, all thin and hanging off her shoulder.

Her chest was pressed against his again, and his breathing labored because of it. Even though Deryn hadn't pulled away there was something off with her response, she was timid, and almost shy. That is, before she shoved Alek off of her with one meaningful push.

"Alek…" She lingered over her words carefully.

"What..what's wrong?" Alek asked her breathlessly. Deryn wrapped her arms around herself, feeling cold and naked before him for some reason, and when she locked eyes with him, Alek could see the hurt in her eyes. His heart sank.

"What's wrong, Deryn?" He asked again, softer that time and placed a light hand on her shoulder, but she simply shrugged it off, not wanting the contact.

"Just because we're sharing a bed, doesn't mean we have to be all…" she breathed, not knowing how exactly to end the sentence, luckily, though, she didn't have to.

"Oh, I'm..sorry." Alek swallowed, there he had been, kissing her in bed like they were married, and even after he'd made such a fuss about them even sharing a bed in the first place the previous night. It wasn't hurt Alek had saw in Deryn's eyes, he realized, it was fear. Fear of going that far too fast.

He looked up at her, frowning. Kissing fully clothed in hidden corners of the _Leviathan _was one thing, but it was different when they were in the same bed in their night shirts. And he should've known that.

Deryn had kicked her legs over the edge of the bed once again, her back facing him. He watched the steady fall and rise of her shoulders while she contemplated whether to leave it silent between them, or to say something.

"What's propriety between us?" Bovril's voice sounded, and both Alek and Deryn head's snapped over to the loris. It almost had a mischievous look on its face, and the two blushed in wonder of whether the beastie had seen them kissing, shivering at the thought of what noises it might've been able to pick up.

Alek turned his attention back to Deryn and reached forward for her hand, giving it a squeeze for good measure.

"I really _am_ sorry." He wanted to make that clear.

"It's not a big deal, you daft prince." Deryn shook her head, her voice still small but Alek could tell she was trying to lose the subject. Her hand was still cold, her stature frozen, and from what Alek could see, her cheeks were still red.

"You know dead well what you do to me." Bovril added and Deryn shot a warning glance at the loris, threatening to throw a pillow at the beastie.

"I'm going to go wash up." Deryn said, tugging her hand away from Alek's. He frowned.

"Alright," Alek answered calmly, but felt the urge to jump up and hug her, just to make sure everything was fine, but managed to resist, keeping his body at bay and merely watching her gather some fresh clothes from the closet and head into the washroom. The way she walked slower than normal, and how her legs were still so alluring to him, those unseen curves hidden beneath the fabric twisting as she walked….

Alek flung himself into the pillows, letting out a small scream after he heard Deryn close the door.

Another clicked entered his ears soon after, and he popped up, looking towards the washroom door and expecting Deryn, only to turn and see Dr. Barlow standing in the open front door, already dressed for the day and wearing her same peculiar glare. Alek sucked in a breath, feeling all the more nervous that he was still in his night shirt.

"Um, good morning, ma'am." He greeted wistfully.

"And good morning to you, as well, Aleksander." She nodded, making her way into the room with her loris on her shoulder. Tazza, on the other hand, was missing and Alek suspected that the lady boffin had someone out walking it yet again. Bovril snapped up as well, the two lorises going up to each other and exchanging quiet whispers of new words, chuckling all the same, like two school girls who had just heard a speck of new gossip. "I'd imagine you and Mr. Sharp are fairing well in your room."

"As well as we can." Alek shrugged. He certainly wasn't going to pull out all of their dirty laundry in front of her. "I'm pretty excited to see some of London; I've never been here before."

"Pity then," Dr. Barlow said with a thoughtful hum. "I know I promised you and Mr. Sharp a few leisure days, but the situation calls to start business today."

"Pity," one of the lorises called out, but Alek found it hard to figure whether it was Bovril or the lady boffin's loris. They sounded so identical when they were in close quarters.

Alek frowned at her words, though. He hadn't lied when he said he was excited to see what London had to offer. It would've finally given him and Deryn a chance for a proper outing as an item, even though they'd seem as two boys on the street rather than a young couple on a date, he'd take whatever he could get as long as he was with her.

"Well Deryn just went to wash up, so I could just tell her what we'll be doing." Alek sighed and answered. He supposed if he was going to make any more money to even take Deryn on an outing he'd have to abide to the lady boffin's wishes. Work was work, after all.

"No need," Dr. Barlow lifted her hand in silence. "Just tell Mr. Sharp for you two to meet me in the complex's mess in a half hour, we'll discuss your business for the day then." Alek opened his mouth to speak but the lady boffin turned her head the other way, no longer paying him any attention. She snapped for her loris, and the beastie immediately hopped from the floor, crawling up her arm and taking its position back on her shoulder. Looking at Alek with the same peculiar glare.

"_Mr_. Sharp," the loris cackled before Dr. Barlow closed the door behind her.

And Alek was left alone again, the empty room seemed somewhat hallow as he turned his gaze back to the washroom's door. He heard the steady let-out of water coming from behind the door, and Alek's mouth ran dry again. He was thinking too much about Deryn's more feminine features lately, and it was all messing with his head.

He finally stood from the bed, shaking any thoughts of Deryn in a washroom—or anywhere near water just to be safe—out of his head. It certainly _wasn't_ proper. Deryn and him were together, that much was true, but the romantic aspect of their relationship only spanned a few days. He had to remember that if he was going to keep his head straight.

He turned to Bovril, expecting the beastie to chime in, but it sat on the bed, quietly going up to Alek and plopping down in his lap, nuzzling his stomach affectionately. Alek shook his head with a warm smile, stroking the beastie's fur. He often wondered what the nature of a loris was all about. They were so clever…_dead _cleaver even, and then on the drop of a hat it could act like a common house cat, fabricated or not.

He never knew what the exact point of him having a loris was, Deryn had informed him that the lady boffin did set up his and Bovril's meeting as no mistake, but what political good was having a perspicacious beastie that could repeat words? That is, unless it was secretly working for Barlow to exchange information…

"You wouldn't betray me would you Bovril?" He asked quietly, scratching the beastie's chin. "You'd never keep secrets from me, right?"

"No secrets," Bovril giggled and Alek could only smile.

"Feeling insecure again?" Deryn finally emerged from the washroom, her white button shirt on with a simple pair of brown pants and a matching oversized vest. A small towel wrapped around her neck and she held it up, capturing the last few bits of moisture from her hair. Alek stared at her a few moments, still amazed at how quickly she changed from a girl he could barely restrain himself from kissing in bed to Dylan Sharp once again. It was something interesting about being involved with her, but ever since Alek had learned Deryn was a girl, he had seen her sharp features as nothing but intriguing.

"Not as much as usual," Alek answered truthfully. "It's nice to be surrounded by allies lately." He added with a smile, and when she smiled back Alek felt a wave of relief flow through him.

"Who were you talking to?" Deryn asked.

Alek snapped out of his fog, remembering that they had a meeting with the lady boffin in very little time. "Oh, well, Dr. Barlow says we have to start work today." Alek explained. "And she wants us to have a meeting with her in a half hour."

"Aye, well then, you should get moving." Deryn said, throwing the towel at Alek and motioning towards the washroom. "I guess we'll be starting out first day of boffin work early."

0o0

The complex's mess was even more lively in the morning than it was at night. Long rows of cloth covered tables covering the center. A single row the only way to the buffets. It was all covered in a light dull gold of light, bouncing off the wine carpets in a stemming brilliance that made the room look so much bigger for some reason.

Alek and Deryn entered slowly, suddenly feeling undressed. The hall seemed so much more than it had when the scurried inside in the late hours of the night, grabbing quick plates and going back to their quarters.

Deryn looked over at Alek who was fixing his jacket a bit, probably wishing he'd at least worn a tie instead of a ruffled brown collared shirt. He looked over at her and Bovril mounted on her shoulder, knowing she was probably feeling a little bit of the same thing he was.

They both sat down when they located Dr. Barlow, the lady boffin sitting alone at the end of a table row near the middle. The bustling mills of other people's conversations and eating, covering her small slurps and the quiet whispers of her loris, sipping its own cup of tea.

"Ah, you finally decided to show up." The lady boffin huffed, putting down her cup, the peculiar glare returning. Deryn shot her own glare back, though, but took a seat alongside Alek all the same.

"You know how princes are with their washing and whatnot. No consideration for time management." Deryn said, casting a gaze over at Alek with a smirk, knowing it annoyed him a bit when she poked at his princeliness every once and a while. He just shook his head.

"Where's Volger?" Alek asked instead of getting egged on by Deryn's quips and she realized she'd always been wondering where the bum-rag was. Deryn expected, after his dinner with the lady boffin, that he'd be there. Although she—or even Alek for that matter—wasn't sure whether whatever Volger was doing was zoologically involved, but he and Dr. Barlow did seem politically close, for lack of any better word.

"Your wildcount had business elsewhere." The lady boffin answered Alek.

"Hmmm," Deryn hummed thoughtfully. "I would've thought you two would be joined at the hip by now."

"Please, Mr. Sharp, the relationship I share with Volger is strictly professional. Besides, I don't think my husband would approve." Dr. Barlow snuffed, taking a quick sip of tea.

"Husband's approval." Her loris said.

"Husband!" Both Deryn and Alek exclaimed, their eyes wide.

"Husband," both lorises repeated.

"I am married, it's true." The lady boffin replied simply, sipping some more tea. "A husband and two lovely children."

"Children!" Alek and Deryn exclaimed once more in unison.

The lady boffin just nodded at their second interjection, finding an odd amusement at their reaction. Deryn was simply stunned. The boffin always seemed so independent and too bossy, being tied down to a husband and children simply didn't seem like her style.

Barlow had every intention of continuing on with an explanation of the work they would be doing, but Deryn could tell she saw the curiosity in both her and Alek's eyes and rolled her own eyes in a silent defeat.

"Curious," Bovril said.

"Do you mind if I ask where exactly your husband is?" Alek asked calmly.

"He must be a boffin as well." Deryn muttered under her breath.

"My husband is a decorated baronet, he's currently in China working for our king to make sure the Chinese neutral status in the war stays neutral, or at least if they decide to join that they'll come to our side." She smiled into her tea cup. "But, he's conducting a bit of business there for me as well."

"And your children?" Deryn asked.

"Sadly my husband I have very demanding duties, so we let them stay with my mother and father slightly north of here." The lady boffin explained and Deryn swallowed. Dr. Barlow _was_ the grander of the great fabricator, and her parents were the children of Darwin himself.

"But, enough personal questions," Dr. Barlow finally sat her cup down and geared a serious face. "I'm in need of assistance in an important informational trade."

"Meaning?" Bovril said, seeming to mirror Deryn and Alek's thoughts.

"Meaning," Barlow smiled. "That there's a bit of detective work involved for the time being."

"So who's our target of interest?" Alek leaned over the table, seeming more involved and almost excited at the news. Deryn just smiled, it was always nice to see him excited about something rather than downing himself for being born a useless heir.

"This man," the lady boffin reached into her tight coat pocket and placed a picture of a nicely kept older man in a stripped suit and fedora. He had a rather tall, intimating swagger about him that seem to resonate even in the blurry picture and Deryn was almost taken back by the darkness in his eyes even though he wasn't even staring at the camera. "Ferdinand Zeppelin."

Deryn saw the realization come over Alek's face, he obviously knew him, or had at least heard of him.

"I'd suppose you've heard of him," Barlow looked over at Alek.

"Yes, he used to serve for the German army, as far as I know, of course. I've never met him, but I know of him."

"Well, we do owe his thanks to the first working zeppelin." Dr. Barlow explained.

"Hmp," Deryn snorted. "The first working zeppelin, a Clanker contraption?" She had always considered air travel as a thing reserved for the beasties of the Darwinists. Beasts had soared he skies long before any bucket of bolts could even be operational on the ground. Certainly, though, the Clankers had their gadgets that could reach as tall as the buildings in New York and California, their propelled planes and machine gunned zeppelins, but nothing equated to being up thousands of feet in the air in a beastie that swayed with the wind.

"Truth be told, the first model it wasn't the most successful invention, but ground breaking to say the least." The lady boffin explained.

"And he's here in enemy territory?" Alek corked a brow. "How strange."

"Strange," Bovril repeated.

"Well, I seem to be his subject of interest. My short appearances in New York did prove business worthy, but there were plenty of German spies about, and I'm afraid this one is right at my throat."

"So he's got something you want?" Deryn decided to get to the point. He knew the lady boffin and Alek could spend all day exchanging their fancy words, but there was a certain level of annoyance that went with actually listening to them.

"Indeed," the lady boffin nodded. "And for the time being that's all you need to know."

"Then how do you suppose, _ma'am_, that we help if we don't even know what we're supposed to be barking getting!" Deryn slammed down on the table. She might've been the boffin's assistant, but she wasn't going to just blindingly go along with her 'need to know basis' attitude, even if she was paying her.

Dr. Barlow narrowed her eyes at Deryn, and reached up her right hand to fix her glove, pulling it a little more down over her wrist.

"I need you two to see if this Ferdinand Zeppelin knows anything about plans to the Kraken." She shot one more warning glance in Deryn's direction. "And that's _all_ you need to know." She slid the picture further across the table, and Alek caught it, placing into his jacket slowly. Deryn simply blinked, trying to figure out if she had heard anything about this so called 'Kraken'. The only such thing she knew of was the kraken that was fabricated by the royal army. It had taken down the H.M.S _Gorgon_ in her earlier days of serving on the _Leviathan_, so perhaps they were upgrading it?

"All you need to know, _Mr_. Sharp." Bovril chuckled.

"Fine," Deryn stood. "Then I suppose we'll start our spying."

"Not so fast, Mr. Sharp." Dr. Barlow silenced. "I can't have you two running the streets of London without a proper plan."

Deryn sighed, sitting back down in an exasperated huff.

"Since you two will be seen with me on a regular basis, I can't have you spying without a guise. Mr. Zeppelin is a very observant man."

"Do you suggest a powered wig, ma'am?" Deryn snipped and Bovril chuckled at her words.

"An idea, but not what I had in mind, Mr. Sharp." The lady boffin smirked. "Or should I say, for the occasion, Miss Sharp."

Both Deryn and Alek's eyes widened, and Alek quickly turned to look over at her.

"No…" Deryn trialed, already knowing what the boffin was hinting at.

"I did tell you dressing would be a part of the job. _Mr_. Sharp." Barlow explained.

"_Mr_. Sharp," her loris repeated.

"And for the next few days you and you-" she looked over at Alek, "-will be posing as young inventor Edward Scarborough and his fiancé Lideth." She looked up at them with entertained eyes. "I figured a young engaged couple would be quite suitable for the both of you."

"You've got to be as daft as they come!" Deryn said rather loudly, catching the eye of a few of the milling eaters in the dining area. Her cheeks still flushed in embarrassment and anger. As if it was odd enough that she'd have to be pretending to be engaged to a boy who didn't even know she was a girl a month ago, even worse, she had to do it all in a barking skirt!

"Daft or not, you knew the terms you signed up for, _Mr_. Sharp, unless you'd prefer Alek to be Lideth instead." The lady boffin replied coldly, standing before Deryn had a chance to excuse herself.

"Well good luck stuffing me into a skirt when I don't have one." She crossed her arms stubbornly over her chest, Bovril wistfully copying her movements.

"Are you suggesting I not be prepared for business?" the lady boffin smiled when Deryn's victory face immediately dropped into a defeated frown. "Come with me, I have just the daywear for you in my room."

Deryn stood from her seat in a slumped fashion, ignoring Alek's wide eyes staring at her with interest. No doubt trying to picture her in a skirt, let alone a whole lady's daywear.

"Barking boffins," Deryn muttered under her breath as she followed Dr. Barlow to her room.

0o0

Alek waited patiently in the room he shared with Deryn. He had long since been dressed for the spying and was simply swinging his feet off the edge of the bed. He looked down at his shoes, fancy, strapped, and perfectly shined and in ways, Alex hadn't missed dressing like that. He was perfectly content with throwing on a simple button shirt, trousers, and suspenders. And his boots seemed worn and threadbare, but they were comfortable. Comfortable enough that they looked almost as used as Deryn's middy boots; the thought alone made him smile, as he always did when he considered himself—for only a small moment, of course—a member of the _Leviathan's_ crew.

He scratched Bovril's fur affectionately, the loris giving sounds of contentment and rolled over on his back, only to snap up a moment later. Alek looked towards the door, knowing the loris's movement well enough to realize that it heard footsteps. And the loud stomps Alek begin to hear himself moments later could only mean one thing.

Deryn was back from Dr. Barlow's room, and probably in no way happy.

Like clockwork, Deryn slammed open the door, her face flushed in the same embarrassment and anger she left Alek with, probably reddening even more now that she was back in his presence.

For a moment, all Alek looked at was her face, and realized that although she did have a natural blush, the pink on her cheeks and lips was…make up? And only when she closed the door behind her and made clumping steps across the room did Alek finally notice he was finally staring at Deryn Sharp for what she was…a girl.

"That boffin must be cracked in the attic if she thinks I'm going out in this barking getup." Deryn spat and swore extravagantly. Kicking the dresser by the washroom and finally silencing in a deep huff. "And these barking corsets," Deryn added in a soft fury, adjusting the hidden garment at her waist.

Alek simply stared at her wide eyes. She was in no way meeting his gaze, and Alek was sure she was doing on purpose. Anything to avoid seeing the daft look he was probably wearing. His mouth ran dry again while he looked at her. It wasn't the fanciest thing he had ever seen on a lady, but it was more than he'd ever expect to see on Deryn.

She wore an off-white collared shirt with brown stripes, the puffed sleeves stopping halfway to her elbow before fitting the contours of her thin arm. The skirt she wore rose to bunch tastefully under her small breasts, and hugged her waist with a tight sash before splaying onto the ground, ruffling fringes at the bottom. At the center of her chest was a large ruby pendent, the chain going lost under the collar of her shirt and the shortness of her hair was disguised by a simple brown, feathered felt hat, resting on the right side of her head.

He swallowed hard. She looked…

"Um, Deryn…" Alek trailed, shaking his head slowly.

"What!" She exclaimed, only to sigh moments later, still not turning to face him completely. "Aye…what is it?" She said in a softer tone.

"I," he started, standing from the bed. "Well, um, I…." he stuttered, taking two small steps towards her.

"Just spit it out," Deryn rolled her eyes, fist clenching at her sides, but Alek knew it was more from a nervous energy inside than annoyance.

"Beautiful," Bovril's voice said instead, and both Alek and Deryn looked over at the loris, blushing all the same. Deryn blinked before finally lifting her gaze to Alek, and he saw her smiling a tad when she saw his cheeks color.

"Thank you, beastie." Deryn nodded towards Bovril.

"It's true," Alex finally found his voice again, walking up to her and placing a gentle hands on her shoulders, turning her towards him just a little more. Her eyes were shining to him, up to this day Alek hadn't been able to picture Deryn in anything but her middy's uniform and gentlemanly day wear, but while he was looking at her, he realized he'd been quite foolish. He looked into her face, though fancier, he still saw the same Deryn. But now she looked…. He swallowed again, and it only made him want to kiss her, but he found an odd want to say the words himself beforehand. He might not get too many more chances to see her so dressed up.

"What are you talking about?" Deryn asked, playing daft.

"You look…_lovely_ Deryn."

Her blush deepened.

"You look quite dashing yourself," Deryn said softly, looking him up and down in his fancy shoes and suit. She darted her eyes around, as if not knowing what to say. Only to finally come up with: "well, are you ready for some more skulking?"

"Only if this time it doesn't end with you punching me." Alek added for a bit of humor. Deryn only gave him a smirk.

"As long as you don't act like a dafty because I'm in a skirt, I think that can be arranged."

"You daft prince," Bovril said.

Alek smiled, seeing that Deryn seemed a bit more relaxed, though he could tell she was still terribly uncomfortable in the guise, at least she knew she didn't look like a dressed up ninny to him. Quite the opposite, in fact.

And for the first time, Alek could honestly say that Deryn Sharp looked…._beautiful_.

**Awww, isn't that just adorable?**

**I definitely got this idea when it was mentioned that Deryn taking the job meant she might have to "disguise herself as a girl"…it just begged to be written about. Plus, I've always wondered what it would be like for Alek, seeing his girlfriend looking like an actual girl. It must be somewhat odd knowing that you're dating someone who 95% of the people you meet think you're the same gender. **

**And the bit about Dr. Barlow being married is true facts—even mentioned on Scott's website. Although, I do think the Barlow/Volger romance would be pretty interesting, I don't think Dr. Barlow is one to betray her husband. Also, Ferdinand Zeppelin is a real person as well, though his evil German spying purposes are all fiction, of course. **

**Anyways, I usually respond to all my reviews, but since I unexpectedly got so many, I'll just thank you all for reviewing. And also for the highest compliment I think I can get out of writing this story, which is that a lot of you said that I not only kept everyone in character, but that my writing style is similar to Scott's. So, a **_**huge**_** thank you to that!**

**Also, as a last odd add in, does reading the **_**Leviathan series**_** make anyone else think of the Kingdom Hearts song "Sanctuary"? Cause I subconsciously consider that the theme song. **

**Once again, reviews are still always welcomed! **


	3. Spinning Webs

**Barking Spiders! Chapter three is finally here!**

**Okay, housekeeping time before we get to the chapter. Firstly, I've noticed some of you have been asking me what my updating schedule for this story is going to be, and I can say I don't particularly have one right now. This story is kind of the 'second' on my list of fanfics-to-do since I'm already heavily committed in finishing the last few chapters of an "Avatar: the Last Airbender" fanfic I've been doing for four years. But, once that one's done, I guess I might move this to bi-weekly Friday updates, or perhaps even weekly Friday updates. But, for now, there's no schedule, so just be on the lookout for when it's new. I'll try not to make updates this long in between, though. **

**Alright, on to the chapter. This one finally gets back to the plotting and scheming we all love about this series. Some new villains, some old villains, some spying, some spies, and Deryn in a dress…because who doesn't love that? **

Kraken—Spinning Webs

Deryn had an itch on her bum that she was sure she'd go mad if she didn't scratch it. But, as she looked down at the ruffles around her feet, her heeled shoes clicking across the cement sidewalk, and feeling that barking corset pushing her stomach in a good inch or two, she remembered very well that she couldn't.

Ladies were ladies, of course, and would rather take a bullet than be caught scratching their bum in public.

Another fine 'perk' to being in a skirt.

The only good thing that seemed to come from being in a skirt and walking through London was that when Alek grabbed her hand, she finally didn't have to pull away in a darting haste that they had been seen. Anywhere else, they were seen to everyone as two boys, but for the first time, they were actually what they were. A gentleman and a lady taking a simple walk down the street…minus the fact that they were portraying an engaged couple.

"Blisters Alek, how much longer until we get to this place?" Deryn asked. "These barking shoes are worse to walk in than they are to stand on."

"Stuffed into skirts." Bovril whispered into Alek's ear. Alek, on the other hand, could only squeeze Deryn's hand and offered her a small smile with the shake of his head.

"Dr. Barlow said that Mr. Zeppelin would be at the Covent Garden today." He looked down at the small piece of paper the lady boffin had given him with the place and time. "As to how she knows he was going to be there is beyond me."

"Trust me, half the things that boffin does is beyond you." Deryn said. "She probably has connections all over the bloody planet."

"It's strange, isn't it? We're working for her yet we still don't even know what this Zoological Society is." Alek mentioned. "We're hardly the zookeepers our titles suggest."

Deryn stopped mid-walk for a moment, looking at Alek in a stiff realization that he was actually right. There they were dressed like boffins and walking to some park to spy on a German all for an organization they still knew barely anything about.

"It's a charity organization." Deryn said instead of voice her thoughts, recalling what the lady boffin had told her the day she was offered the position. "Not in any association with the Admiralty, and-" Deryn smirked "-if I quote the boffin correctly a 'force to be reckoned with'."

Alek rolled his eyes."Well if that's all we've got then it's not much." He noted. "You obviously know more than I do. I was just told that we'd be doing odd jobs that were too tricky for any of Dr. Barlow's other associates."

"Tricky," Bovril repeated.

"Hmp, you'd think for all this tricky work we'd at least be able to get proper transportation." Deryn looked about, seeing all the traveling beasties, pulling carriages and carrying people on their backs. She wondered if the lady boffin approved of the fabricated beasts being used for such commercial purposes, being barking tourist carriers and all. Surely Dr. Barlow had fabricated lorises for some kind of purpose, and the fact that she insisted that her and Alek take Bovril with them meant that the beastie was surely created as an informational carrier of some sort. Much like the messenger lizards aboard the _Leviathan_.

That doctor was a real plotter.

She'd stuck Bovril with Alek when he'd jumped the _Leviathan_ in Istanbul to keep tabs on him and figure out what he was hiding, and every time her loris got in touch with Bovril they'd exchange whispers, trading new words and information…all right back to the lady boffin's ear.

Deryn clenched her fist together at the thought.

"Plotters," Deryn heard Bovril whisper to Alek, and it wasn't the first time the beastie had seemed to have read her mind. Perhaps it was another hidden talent of their fabrication?

"Transportation would be nice, but at least we get a tour." Alek told her, trying to lighten the moment and tugged at her hand, and the gentle clicking of her shoes across the sidewalk continued.

"A tour in a barking skirt." Bovril chuckled.

"Aye beastie," Deryn nodded. "And you can slap annoying right into the sentence."

"You know, one day, all Bovril's going to know how to say is all of your quips." Alek gave them both a quizzical look.

"And that's a bad thing?" Deryn turned her head away from Alek, wistfully pouting. Though the gestured was damped by the smirk she held that didn't seem to fade.

"I never said that," Alek smiled. "To be honest, it was Bovril's usage of your, um, 'way with words' that kept me going when I was stuck with Tesla for three weeks."

Deryn smiled to herself. She often wondered how much Alek had missed her when they were apart. It had been unbearable for her, of course, but the fact that he seemed to share that same loneliness filled her with and urge to kiss him.

She shook her head. It was a daft thought. They were working, even if, at the moment, they were just taking a stroll down the street while holding hands. There'd be plenty of time to kiss when they got home.

It was Alek's abrupt stopping and a tug at her stride that made Deryn realize she had gotten lost in her own thoughts again. She looked to her right, seeing that they had finally reached their destination.

Covent Garden was a large, yet quaint expanse of area, but you'd never be able to tell by the large piles of people stuffed into it. The courtyard was filled with giant Huxleys, and no doubt to Deryn that these were the passenger Huxleys she had been hearing the boffin speak so highly of. From hindsight, they seemed as nothing different but a hot air balloon, but they were, indeed, Huxleys.

The passenger Huxleys tied down in a web of ropes that seemed to be calling to Bovril. Deryn smiled, the loris probably just wanted to climb them. But none had seemed to take flight.

The yard was surrounded by a rounded row of shops, stately halls, museums, and theaters, but the large crowds of people on all ends seemed to dim the beauty of the affair. It all just seemed packed and meshed at that point, and it became all too certain that Deryn and Alek's work was certainly cut out for them.

Even if they did have a picture of Mr. Zeppelin, how in blazes were they going to find him amidst all those people?

"I believe we're here…dear." Alek said slowly and Deryn almost turned to ask if he'd gone mad, calling her 'dear' like she was his little wifey only to remember that, technically, she was. They had a job to do, and for the moment, she had to be a lady stuffed in a corset and skirt, holding her fiancé's hand and smiling while the gentlemen talked.

She sighed. This was going to be worse than an itch on her bum that she couldn't scratch.

0o0

"I wonder why this place is so packed?" Alek asked, having to raise his voice quite considerably when Deryn could ever hear him. She looked around, reporters from all four corners as they pushed through the crowds surrounding the passenger Huxleys.

"With all these reporters around they must be unveiling the passenger Huxleys to the press." Deryn commented, stepping over a rope that was holding down the Huxleys far away as Alek pulled at her hand through the crowds. With all the people around, Deryn wasn't sure if the Huxleys were going to get off the ground at all. But the reporters were still snapping their photos and scribbling in their notepads nonetheless.

"So why would Mr. Zeppelin be here?" Alek stopped for a moment, Deryn was happy he finally noticed the hard time she was having keeping up with his quick steps, taking into consideration that she was in a skirt. He stepped closer to her, whispering so none of nosey reporters would hear their boffin work talk. "It's an awfully crowded place to be hiding Kraken plans."

"Maybe he's not trying to hide them," Deryn whispered as well, their faces were close enough that they could speak lowly, but Deryn refused to let herself get in a fuss over the proximity. "If he's really here around all these reporters, maybe he's trying to get them exposed?"

"I'm not sure, him even having those plans in the first place could be bad for his cover. If people here knew he was a German, there'd be more trouble than he could handle." Alek countered and Deryn chewed her lip.

"Quite a trick." Bovril offered and both Deryn and Alek regarded the beastie.

"Quite a trick indeed," another voice came up from behind them, and when Deryn and Alek both turned Deryn was the first to express her distaste at seeing Adela Rogers behind them. "Greetings bell captain." She smirked.

"What in blazes are you—?" Deryn began to rant but stopped herself. She swallowed hard. The lady reporter did join aboard the Leviathan when they left New York, but she hadn't been aware that she had stepped off at the same stop they did. But, more importantly, how did she know that Deryn was the same 'bell captain' she referred Dylan Sharp to?

That could only mean that the barking reporter knew the whole time.

"You're speechlessness must be on a count of my impeccable knowledge of your gender, am I right?" Adela smiled.

Alek stepped forward, taking squeezing Deryn's hand when he felt it shake.

"What is it that you want Miss Rogers?" Alek asked sternly.

"Oh please, your princeliness," Adela let her voice lower a bit. "I'm hardly thinking to do anything with Miss Sharp's secret, but I am ashamed to say that it wasn't of my own accord that I discovered it."

Deryn rolled her eyes…more fancy talk. And the way she likened Deryn's secret to a 'discovery', like she was the missing link or some other kind of daft scientific expedition.

"Care to explain what it is your doing here and how you know we're here?" Alek demanded to know, not releasing Deryn's hand even though her stance had stilled.

Adela only smiled once more. "You think you're the only one who is zoologically involved?"

"Plotters," Bovril whispered.

"You!" Deryn exclaimed. "But you're a Hearst reporter for the San Francisco Examiner, how can you be working for that boffin?"

"Dr. Barlow does need her people at all for ends, and I am the closest thing she has to a behind the scenes German."

Alek lifted a brow. "You're German, Miss Rogers?"

"Me? Oh, goodness no, I'm pure bread American. But I do work for a Hearst paper, which has its own web of German connections as I'm discovering."

Deryn looked about thoughtfully. These reporters were serious business. All having hidden motivations behind their cameras and scribbles.

"How do we know you're not just throwing us a load of yackum?" Deryn stepped forward, eyeing the lady reporter carefully. "Dr. Barlow may have been quick to spill some secrets in front of you on the _Leviathan_, but since you are working for Hearst how do we know you're not here to spy on Zoological business?"

"Because I'm your only way in to see what Mr. Zeppelin has planned." Adela offered. "He's holding a small gathering with two other Germans in the west wing of the Jubilee Market to be trading special plans he acquired in America."

"That still doesn't explain why you're here." Deryn crossed her arms.

"Boffin work," Bovril went onto Alek's shoulder that was nearest Deryn, reaching over to whisper to her. Deryn recalled the beastie's words and gave Adela one last look over.

"Hearst sent me after all the commotion with Tesla's machine. Despite being a lady I am one of his most capable reporters." Adela said.

"Highly qualified boffin work." Bovril added and Deryn rolled her eyes. Even the loris was talking fancy.

"So you _are _a spy." Alek spoke up, mulling over all the words and coming to a conclusion. "You spy for Hearst to keep up with German activity, but who you're really telling all the true news to is Dr. Barlow."

Adela smiled. "Quite intuitive for a prince." She regarded. Alek smiled, that daft smile across his lips all the same for whenever he felt proud for figuring something out. "And close enough for the moment," She turned, cocking her head for them to follow her. "Now hurry along Mr. and Mrs. Scarborough, we have a special meeting of German spies to attend to."

0o0

The details were sketchy regarding Miss Rogers, and Deryn still had a feeling something wasn't quite right. The lady reporter knew too much and didn't have enough evidence to back it up. Had Dr. Barlow really asked her to work for zoological purposes when Adela boarded the _Leviathan_? And if she really was working for the boffin, why was she still doing Hearst's dirty work?

"I don't know about this, Alek," Deryn whispered as they followed blindly behind the lady reporter to the Jubilee Market. "This lassie could get our bums in a lot of hot water."

"I think our bums are fine, Deryn," Alek laughed a little. "And I hardly think Miss Rogers means us any harm. Besides if she wasn't working for Dr. Barlow how else would she know your secret?"

Deryn opened her mouth to argue, but he _did_ have her stumped there.

"Dr. Barlow must've told her to escort us to this meeting since she was already going to be there, which meant telling your secret would be needed, seeing that you're in a dress." Alek explained further.

"This is all getting too webby." Deryn snorted. It was true, in fact, that there were too many intertwining secrets amidst in this war. The true nature of the Zoological society was only getting more tangled, and it seemed that the lady boffin really did have connections all over the barking planet. Adela Rogers was undercover for both Dr. Barlow and Hearst, but working separately for each. Deryn did remember, though, that one of Hearst's head workers, Philip Diefendorf, was a pure German, and although the lady reporter had refused to believe it when that bum-rag Malone spewed the business, that could've been an act…her and that boffin where plotters after all.

Deryn swore silently under her breath.

"Webby indeed." Bovril chuckled.

"You might want to put your talking beast away." Adela said. "Mr. Zeppelin would be specious if they knew you were walking around with one of Barlow's fabrications."

Alek nodded and looked at where they were heading. Deryn peaked over Adela's shoulder and saw that the meeting place was nothing but a small alley behind a bakery. People milled freely about, making it an odd spot for a foreign spy meeting to take place, but by the looks of the men standing in the shadows, Deryn was sure no one would come anywhere near the men, let alone get close enough and interrupt the meeting

"Go hide in the plant pot over there, beastie," Deryn directed. "It's close enough to hear them but no one will look there."

"Good idea," Alek smiled.

"Plant pot," Bovril repeated and it climbed down Alek's arms right before they were in German sight, taking a comfortably lazy position in the pot that, certainly, no one would think to look for a perspicacious loris in.

"Now, stay quiet and follow my lead, anything off will insight Mr. Zeppelin's senses." Adela warned.

"This Zeppelin fellow must be pretty touchy," Deryn whispered the Alek, but he seemed to ignore her, staring at the men before them and realizing that the man in the center was the Mr. Zeppelin in Dr. Barlow's picture. He seemed even more mysterious in person, wrapped in the shadows of the alleyway.

Alek swallowed, and it was Deryn's turn to squeeze his hand.

"Ah, Miss Rogers, you've finally show up." Ferdinand Zeppelin greeted, and Adela extended her hand for Mr. Zeppelin to kiss gently. His gaze quickly switched, though, wandering to Deryn with interest. Deryn swallowed, it was getting increasingly harder to remember that she was a girl again, which meant men would stare at her…with interest. Miss Rogers gave her a squinted look, and cocked her head over the Mr. Zeppelin.

"This is Mr. Edward Scarborough and his fiancé Lideth, they're fellow inventors who worked on some of the modifications to Tesla's Goliath back in America." Adela said, spewing out lies like it was as natural as breathing. But she had told Deryn and Alek to follow her lead, so they both nodded.

"How tragic, Tesla's death," Mr. Zeppelin smirked, "but he was a pest to our progress." Alek stiffened harshly, as he always whenever someone mention Tesla. Deryn frowned at his gestures, knowing what he was thinking. The minute Alek revealed that he was the one who killed Tesla all the Germans would think he was on their side, but she was glad he took the advice of her and Volger and kept it a secret.

Suddenly, Mr. Zeppelin walked up to Deryn. "Miss Scarborough," He bowed, and Deryn swallowed before extending her hand towards the man, his lips odd against her skin, and she shivered. "You should've have informed me you were bringing guests," Ferdinand turned his attention back towards Adela. "You know how fragile this is."

"I'm aware, sir, but, Mr. and Mrs. Scarborough are hardly plotters," Adela defended. "They're more charity workers, working for whoever will pay them, not to defend their sides. I've been writing a back story on their travels, but they're of no harm to your…_progress_."

"That does seem to be the American way," Ferdinand smirked towards Miss Rogers. "But very well," he pulled a piece of paper from his jacket pocket, it was crumbled and drawn on, but the scribbles looked highly elaborate for just a simple message. "I need you to get this to Mr. Philip, he's been so tied up in American."

Alek and Deryn both swallowed, knowing very well that Mr. Philip was the same Philip Diefendorf working for Hearst.

Deryn shook her head, and the web continued.

"Very well sir," Adela nodded, "I leave, by boat, for San Francisco with Mr. and Mrs. Scarborough by the end of this week."

"That'll be quite a wait, but it can't be avoided." Ferdinand frowned and then turned towards the other men.

"What exactly are these plans we paid through the nose to be here for, Mr. Zeppelin?" One of the other shadowy men asked in an impatient tone of Clanker talk. "Lest you forget we're in a war."

Deryn opened her ears to her limited German, but she knew Alek understood every word, and could probably speak on the matter. It was, though, best not to flaunt his bilingual status around these men. As Miss Rogers had said, anything off would excite Mr. Zeppelin's senses, and their boffin work couldn't afford any slipups.

"I'm aware," Ferdinand spoke in German as well. He reached into his jacket pocket again, and took out a photograph that time around. It looked intact, precise, and perfectly taken. It was the kind of picture a reporter like Malone wished he could've gotten of something as elaborate as a piece of paper in a woman's hands, but with one quick squint to the photo Deryn was able to identify that the woman in the picture was Dr. Barlow.

_"I need you two to see if this Ferdinand Zeppelin knows anything about plans to the Kraken."_

Deryn remembered the lady boffin's words. The drawing Mr. Zeppelin had handed to Adela must've been a copied drawing from the picture he'd took…Dr. Barlow's Kraken plans. Even though the boffin had neglected to tell what the plans were for exactly, Deryn was knowledgeable enough to know that whatever the boffin had up her sleeves could become seriously dangerous if in the hands of power hungry Germans two seconds away from losing the Great War.

It was obvious enough that this German had taken a picture of the lady boffin's plans, but as to what purposes was beyond either of them.

"Zoological plans for a sea beast of war, it's enough to ruin all of my plans." Ferdinand handed the photo to the men.

"And what do you intend to do with these plans?" another man asked. "Exposing them could prove fatal for you cover."

"Ha," Ferdinand laughed. "Why would I expose such a priceless aspect of this war? It's more along the likes of beating Mrs. Barlow to the punch in this sea beast."

"You can't possibly be suggesting we fabricate?" the man corked a brow.

"Why would we stick to Darwinist tactics?" Ferdinand snorted as well. "We have the outline, now I can simply modify our machines with the model in mind. How embarrassing it'll be for these zookeepers, thinking they have the upper hand only to find that our water walking machines can copy their beasts."

"And just how soon can you complete this project?" the men asked. "At this rate, the war won't hold out too much longer."

"As soon as Miss Rogers gets the plans to Philip, as quickly as his private funding can permit. And since he's working for Hearst's _Journal_ and _Examiner_, his funding can be just as quick as any Zoological project."

"I'm putting a lot of hope into this, Zeppelin," one of the man's eyes tightened, holding out his hand for a handshake that even sent chills down Deryn's spine. The two exchanged a tight bonding handshake, and Ferdinand took the photo away from the men before turning back to Adela.

"As soon as you can make it on a boat back to America…" Ferdinand made clear.

"As you wish, Mr. Zeppelin, Mr. Philip will be pleased to finally get his hands on this."

"I'm sure." He turned to Deryn and Alek, and the two erected immediately when he locked gazes with them, the shadows in his black eyes unnerving them. "Mr. and Mrs. Scarborough," He nodded to them, and kissed the back of Deryn's hand before Adela lead them away.

"Now," Deryn heard Mr. Zeppelin's voice before they turned the corner, leaving the German men to their shadow talk. "If we're going to make it to the base in time we have to know when.." but his voice trailed, and Deryn couldn't hear any more in her ear shot.

"Barking spiders," Deryn swore softly.

"You heard it too?" Alek whispered to her and Deryn nodded, clicking her tongue for Bovril in the nearby plant pot and beastie crawled quietly from it, running up Deryn's body until it was on her shoulder.

"I couldn't hear the last part of what he said, but maybe Bovril did?"

Both Deryn and Alek looked towards the beastie and it laughed.

"Zeppelin raid." Bovril said quietly, and even though it didn't repeat the entire sentence even Adela picked up on the severity of the loris's words.

"_Barking Spiders_," Deryn repeated breathlessly.

0o0

It was good feeling for Alek to finally be back at the complex. It was in no way a home to him yet, not like the _Leviathan_ had been, but when he felt Deryn's hand squeeze his own, he knew that it was someplace they shared together.

"We should go tell the boffin sooner than later," Deryn suggested as they made it up the stairs. "This skirt is getting on my last nerves, but she would want to know what we found while it's still fresh."

"Right," Alek nodded, and instead of going to the top fifth floor, they stopped on the third, ringing the doorbell to the first and only door to the floor the boffin had all to herself. "Dr. Barlow, your assistants would like a word." Alek called, but to his surprise it wasn't Barlow who opened the door, but his wildcount.

"Volger?" Alek corked a brow. He felt as if he hadn't seen Volger in weeks, when it had only been a day. He wasn't even sure what his wildcount's living arrangements where, and although he wanted to jump the conclusion that he had simply been staying with Dr. Barlow, she _was _married. And quite a proper lady at that.

"Back from work already?" Volger asked stiffly, his face did seem to brighten, though, when his gaze lowered to Deryn, dressed in his lady's daywear.

"Get stuffed," Deryn muttered in the wildcount's direction, already knowing what he was thinking.

"We're, um, looking for Dr. Barlow." Alek shook the un-proper thoughts of why Volger might be staying there out of his mind.

"She's not here at the moment, she had business to attend to for a few hours"

"Boffin work," Bovril chuckled.

"Figures," Deryn rolled her eyes, as did Volger at Bovril's words on Deryn's shoulder.

"May I still come in, Volger?" Alek asked, wondering why he felt so formal around the wildcount.

"Of course, Your Highness," Volger moved from in front of the doorway, allowing him in. The wildcount looked at Deryn, expecting her to follow suit, but she simply stood there.

"You take Bovril," Deryn took the beastie's weight from her shoulders and gave the loris to Alek. "I'll be in our room, this barking skirt is getting to be too much to handle."

"Alright," Alek nodded slowly, getting one last look at her in her daywear before smiling. She still looked so lovely to him, and he stepped forward to kiss her cheek. He simply couldn't resist.

"Reddening," Bovril giggled and Volger let out a discomforting groan towards the loris and Alek's motions.

"Right this way, Prince Aleksander," Volger said and closed the door behind them with no other word to Deryn.

"You two will have to get along eventually." Alek said. He was slightly amused by how much Volger and Deryn were always at odds. It was a little odd between him and his wildcount since Volger learned that Alek had thrown away his princely duties in the Manhattan waters, and finally given into his passion for a 15-year-old midshipman who was really a girl in trousers. But, through all of it, Volger still decided—out of all Alek's men—to stay with him for the duration of his time working for the lady boffin.

"It has to run both ways, Your Highness." Volger answered. "I'd hardly think, though, that you were the person to subject to adolescent feelings, and for a commoner nonetheless."

"You mean you didn't figure out that there was something between us?" Alek asked in interest. He knew that even Newkirk had been suspicious of their closeness, and he didn't even know Deryn's secret.

"Your bond as allies?" Volger smirked. "You weren't as obvious as you thought. But, it was an eventual expectation, you never were too fond of any ladies before, so I figured your time would come soon."

"Deryn's more than just some lady I'm fond of," Alek said quietly, trying his hardest not to blush but he was sure he was failing miserably. Volger walked over to him and placed a firm hand on Alek's shoulder. It was an odd gesture, coming from the wildcount, and Alek gave him a quizzical look that countered his red face.

"Reddening," Bovril chuckled again before jumping from Alek's shoulder and over to Dr. Barlow's loris, whom she oddly left behind. The two beasties chattered happily, exchanging words as usual.

"You're still young," Volger said. "There will be plenty of time for romance later."

Alek could've taken the wildcount's words as humble advice, but he knew Volger better than that. His eyes tightened.

"As long as it's not with Deryn?" Alek asked coldly.

"Only time will tell how long your bond will hold. You two are still enemies, after all, and the whether or not the war ends in Darwinist or Clanker favor, there will always be a bitterness between the two."

"What's between Deryn and I has nothing to do with what we were born into. The fact that I became so close to her even in the midst of this war means that we were meant to be!" Alek yelled, his face still red, but more from anger than embarrassment.

"You are your providence talk," Volger shook his head. "Very well, you may experience this with whom you choose." He gave Alek a thorough look. "I can't promise it'll always be faithful to your good intentions, though."

Alek lifted a brow. "You sound as if you're speaking from experience."

Volger's face made an odd contortion of a saddened fall and a tight coldness. It was only for a fraction of a second, but Alek still caught it.

"So why are you staying here, in Dr. Barlow's room?" Alek felt it right to ask. The wildcount had no shame in picking in Alek's business, so why not dabble in his for a while? Alek was expecting the odd contortion of Volger's face yet again, but he stayed stiff.

"She feels she's in danger of attack." Volger explained, referring to the lady boffin. "Her stolen plans were a very fragile contribution to this war, and the Germans are extremely hostile now that they're losing the war."

"So the zoological society is really behind this?" Alek muttered under his breath. "I didn't think they'd be so invested in making a war beast."

"It's a multifaceted society, Prince Aleksander," Volger regarded.

"So even you know more about it than I do," Alek groaned. He knew he probably could force Volger to tell him what the true nature of the Zoological Society of London really was, but in actuality Alek no longer had the proper right to even have a wildcount. "So tell me, Volger," Alek said upfront, going for more information regardless. "What is the Kraken that the Germans want to so badly?"

"I'm sorry, but if Dr. Barlow hasn't told you then I'm not in liberty to reveal the whereabouts of the Kraken."

Alek let out a deep sigh, clasping his hand to his forehead. Was it so hard to get some answers?

"But we work for her, aren't we at right to know?" Alek countered.

"It's just not my place to tell you, I have no technical connections to this society."

"Then why are you staying in Dr. Barlow's room?"

"For the protection of her apartment, of course." Volger answered seamlessly, not even seeming hesitant or stumped like the reaction Alek was trying to coax from him. The prince turned in a huff.

"Dr. Barlow should be back shortly, I'll tell her to lighten on her secrets." The wildcount offered softly.

"Thank you Volger," Alek said softly. He looked over at Bovril and Dr. Barlow's loris, still happily exchanging words, and Alek could've swore he heard the word Zeppelin as one of them. He scooped Bovril up, petting the beastie lightly and turned to Volger. "I should get back to Deryn." Alek looked towards the door, his want to be with her returning despite not getting any information about the Kraken.

"As you wish, Your Highness." Volger bowed formally and even opened the door for him.

0o0

It was turning early evening when Alek made it back to the room he shared with Deryn, she had already changed out of her lady's daywear and simply had on a white button shirt and pants. Alek smiled at the faraway look in her eyes as she stared out the open window, leaning gently on the sill as the wind blew through her hair. Her eyes closed in a gentle motion and Alek swallowed hard.

Before he knew it he had his arms around her from behind, pressing his lips to her neck and let out a labored breath.

"I take your talk with Volger didn't go well?" She asked, more in a jest than Alek expected.

"It went just as I thought," he muffled against her skin. "More questions than answers."

"He and that boffin alike," Deryn snorted.

"Alike," Bovril said from the bed.

"Well," Deryn pulled away from Alek's embrace, turning to face him instead of the open window. "It's been a longer day than I could've ever imagined having on the ground." She recalled, giving out a laugh.

Alek laughed lightly as well. He knew midshipman Dylan Sharp was used to any kind of airman adventure, but on the ground things seemed so much more structured, even the skulking for the day seemed so much more of a simple task after Miss Rogers got involved.

"We have a whole, evening a head of us…what would you like to do?" Alek asked. Deryn's cackles faded, though, and she shot Alek another one of her looks filled with daring curiosity. Alek tugged her closer, letting his breath run over her lips before he claimed them in a satisfying warmth.

Her body seemed warmer against his amongst the chill air from the opened window, he shivered, but not because the cold. Her hands ran gently through his hair and on his neck, finger twirling around his locks as she hummed in contentment. The sounds she made only egged him on, pulling her closer towards him still, his hands heavy on her back.

"Boffin work," they heard Bovril say in the distance, and although the loris's choice of words was odd for the moment, Deryn and Alek didn't take any attention to it, and only deepened their kiss.

That is until they heard a very obvious—and certainly not Bovril's—clearing of a throat.

Deryn opened her eyes first, breaking away from Alek, to his discontent, when she saw Dr. Barlow in their doorway.

"I'll never understand how that boffin can get in here on her own when this isn't even her room." Deryn muttered to herself.

"Um, hello." Alek greeted wistfully.

"I suppose knocking will have to become a standard when I come here?" Dr. Barlow replied dryly.

"Standard," her loris whispered to her.

"We should talk, ma`am," Deryn said seriously. "We learned a lot today after we met up with that lady reporter you sent us."

"That's good Mr. Sharp, but, exchanging information isn't needed for today." She gave them an odd smile. It was of satisfaction, which Deryn and Alek knew was a rarity in the lady boffin. "You two have put in more than enough for a first day's work." She lifted a bag from her coat pocket, pulling out a small snap wallet and handed it to Alek. "Enjoy your evening, Mr. Sharp, Prince Aleksander," the lady boffin said as she turned. "We have much to talk about tomorrow."

"Zeppelin raid," her loris said and Deryn and Alek's eyes widened. Alek didn't pay much attention to when Bovril and Dr. Barlow's loris where exchanging words when he visited Volger, but since Bovril had heard the entire conversation Mr. Zeppelin had in the alleyway, the lady boffin probably knew a good fraction, if not all, of what was going on.

He shook it off, looking into the change purse the lady boffin had given him and saw their promised week's worth of pay already given to them after only a day's worth of boffin work. Alek's smile grew.

"You've got that daft look in your eye again," Deryn stated in annoyance. "What did that boffin give you?"

Alek didn't answer, he just turned and took her hand.

"Deryn Sharp," He said formally. "Would you do me the honor of being my date to a charming night on the London town?"

**Whew, finally done. There was a lot going on in this chapter, but it always ends on a Deryn/Alek note! Next chapter is Deryn and Alek's first official date, and some more of those lovely plotters. **

**I really felt that the reporter from Goliath, Adela Rogers, would be a good candidate for a reporter/spy. Seeing as how Hearst's business is crawling with suspicious people and how trusting Dr. Barlow was of Adela in the book lead me to believe that she might have recruited Adela for zoological purposes as well. That's all speculation, of course, but it's just something to think about. **

**And, once again, since I got tons of reviews, I can't reply to them all separately, but I really do appreciate you guy's feedback! Keep reviewing and **_**thank you so much**_** for the motivation! **


End file.
